In the beginning, Dr. Herbert Klem taught Missiology at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul with his good friend Dr. Ralph Hammond. Drs. Hammond and Klem also taught many courses together on intercultural relationships and reconciliation. They were often called the Minnesota Twins by close friends. In 1994, along with some other interested College and Seminary professors, they formed Global Horizons Incorporated to further equip emerging leaders for ministry around the world and to pursue reconciliation between cultures.

 

Early projects involved diversity workshops in churches and communities in the Twin Cities area as well as classes at Daystar University in Kenya and Good News Training Institute in Ghana.  Through the years, visiting students coming from overseas got involved because they were aware of the issues and were interested in taking some of the Biblical learning home with them.  Coupled with the learning on reconciliation came strong interest in providing meaningful activities that would demonstrate care for others.  It soon became apparent that people working together would encourage better cultural understanding, too.  Some students returned to their home countries to serve, drilling wells and pastoring local churches with a renewed sense of calling.

 

Another milestone was reached when Americans became interested in proactively demonstrating care for others and encouraging better cultural understanding also. These people have intentionally gone to work among children and community groups as well as churches.  The need for reconciliation is easily seen but not so easily remedied.

 

We live in a broken world.  We have learned that it is filled with cultural lies that divide and abuse people.  Societies everywhere have developed perspectives that have resulted in dysfunction, reliance on traditions and methods that contribute to brokenness.  The effects of the lies and these traditions over the centuries have denied services and opportunities to people worldwide.

 

As an alternative, GHI has recognized cultural diversity and has become passionate about mobilizing missional leaders who are engaging and selfless, pursuing reconciliation with God and reconciliation horizontally between people and ideas, through projects that provide interventions and development.  These leaders and projects seek to validate the honor and dignity of diversity in creation especially among races, abilities, children, women and communities. They seek to create environments and activities leading to reconciliation within areas of chaos and dysfunction. Lastly, they seek to empower marginalized people to become all God would have them become.

 

 

In short:

GHI is mobilizing missional leaders who pursue opportunities for reconciliation, development and discipleship.

 

Key Founders:

Dr. Ralph Hammond

Dr. Hammond was instrumental in the formation of Global Horizons Inc. He is remembered as a passionate advocate of Social Justice in Christianity. Ralph was married to Dr. Mary Hammond who serves Global Horizons Inc. on its Board of Directors as board member emeritus.

 

 

Dr. Herb Klem

Dr. Klem was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he married Barbara. Dr. Klem and his wife served in Africa for 20 years teaching in colleges and seminaries in Nigeria and Kenya. Dr. Klem then taught Missiology at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul with his good friend Dr. Ralph Hammond. Drs. Hammond and Klem together taught many courses on intercultural relationships and reconciliation. They were often called the Minnesota Twins by close friends. Together, Drs. Hammond and Klem, along with Dennis Phelps and Hal Poe, formed Global Horizons Incorporated to further equip emerging leaders for ministry around the world and to further reconciliation between cultures.